Home > 1.6.1 By-elections, repeat and re-run elections > RUSSIAN FEDERATION - Federal Law on Presidential Elections in the Russian Federation
 
 
 
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Article 51
 

1. Air time on the channels of TV and radio broadcasting organizations and printable area in printed periodicals may be made available to registered candidates in accordance with the procedure as established by this article and by Articles 52 and 53 of this Federal Law, free of charge (free air time, free printable area) or for a charge. (as amended by Federal Law No. 203-FZ of July 19, 2009)


2. Free air time and free printable area shall also be made available to political parties that nominated registered candidates, in accordance the procedure established by this Federal Law. (as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)


2.1. No free air time and no free printable area shall be provided to:


1) a political party that nominated a registered candidate if the candidate nominated by that political party at the previous election of the President of the Russian Federation obtained less than 2 percent of all the votes given during the election;


2) a political party that nominated a registered candidate if such political party is a successor of the political party that nominated a candidate at the previous election of the President of the Russian Federation and the specified candidate obtained less than 2 percent of all the votes given during the election;


3) a registered candidate nominated by the political party as specified in Subclause 1 or 2 of this Clause. (clause 2.1 as amended by Federal Law No. 203-FZ of July 19, 2009)


2.2. 2.1) No provisions of Clause 2.1 of this Article shall be applied to any political party that nominated a registered candidate and is a successor of an associate political party that nominated a candidate at the previous election of the President of the Russian Federation where the specified candidate obtained less than 2 percent of all the votes given during the election, provided that the candidate nominated by the successor party obtained 2 or more percent of all the votes given during the election. (clause 2.2 has been introduced by Federal Law No. 203-FZ of July 19, 2009)


3. Registered candidates and political parties that nominated registered candidates shall not be entitled to use free air time or free printable area as provided to them to campaign in favor of any other registered candidates. (as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)


4. In case of a repeat voting, air time and printable area shall be provided to the two registered candidates taking part in the repeat voting.


5. State-owned and municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations as well as offices of state-owned and municipal printed periodicals shall guarantee equal election campaigning terms and conditions to all registered candidates and political parties that nominated registered candidates, including those concerning presentation of their election programs to voters. (as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)


6. Municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations and municipal printed periodicals may provide air time and printable area to registered candidates for a charge.


7. Private TV and radio broadcasting organizations and offices of printed periodicals producing mass media content and registered at least one year before the date when the decision to call the election of the President of the Russian Federation was officially published as well as offices of private printed periodicals founded by political parties (including their structural divisions) and registered less than one year before the date when the decision to call the election of the President of the Russian Federation was officially published may provide air time and printable area to registered candidates for a charge, provided that the specified organizations and offices comply with the requirements as set forth in Clauses 8 and 9 of this Article. No other private TV and radio broadcasting organizations or offices of private printed periodicals may provide air time and printable area to registered candidates. (as amended by Federal Laws No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005 and No. 203-FZ of July 19, 2009)


8. The terms of payment for the air time and printable area shall be the same for all the registered candidates to whom they were provided. This requirement shall not apply to the offices of printed periodicals founded by candidates or political parties that nominated candidates. For the purposes of this Federal Law, printed periodical founded by a candidate shall mean a printed periodical founded at least one year before the first day of the election campaign by a citizen (citizens) of the Russian Federation, who takes (take) part in the election of the President of the Russian Federation as a candidate (candidates). (as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)


9. Information of the rates charged (in the Russian Federation currency) for the air time and printable area shall be published by the relevant TV and radio broadcasting organization or office of the relevant printed periodical within 30 days after the date when the decision to call the election of the President of the Russian Federation was officially published. Within the same period the specified information and a notice of readiness to provide air time and printable area to registered candidates shall be submitted to: the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation — by the national TV and radio broadcasting organizations and offices of the national printed periodicals; the election commission of a Constituent of the Russian Federation — by the regional and municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations and offices of the regional and municipal printed periodicals.


10. Private and municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations and printed periodicals, dedicated TV and radio broadcasting organizations and printed periodicals as well as state-owned printed periodicals published less than once a week may refuse to provide air time or printable area for election campaigning. Such refusal shall be expressed in the form of non-submission of the notice as indicated in Clause 9 of this Article to the relevant election commission within the period as established by the same Clause.


11. TV and radio broadcasting organizations and offices of printed periodicals (regardless of the ownership type) that provided air time or printable area to registered candidates or political parties that nominated registered candidates shall account the scope and price thereof in accordance with the forms of accounting records and accounting procedure as established by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation. Within ten days after the voting day the accounting data shall be submitted to: (as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005) the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation — by the national TV and radio broadcasting organizations and offices of the national printed periodicals; the election commission of a Constituent of the Russian Federation — by the regional and municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations and offices of the regional and municipal printed periodicals.


12. TV and radio broadcasting organizations and offices of the national printed periodicals (regardless of the ownership type) which provided air time and printable area to registered candidates or political parties that nominated registered candidates shall provide the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, upon its request, and the relevant regional and municipal TV and radio broadcasting organization and offices of regional and municipal printed periodicals shall provide the election commission of the relevant Constituent of the Russian Federation, upon its request, with the documents confirming the registered candidate’s consent for the payable work to be done and for payable services to be provided. (as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)


13. Free or payable air time or printable area shall be provided for the purposes of election campaigning under a written agreement made by and between a TV and radio broadcasting organization or office of a printed periodical and a candidate or a political party before such air time or printable area are provided. (as amended by Federal Laws No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005 and No. 64-FZ of July 19, 2009 and 203-FZ dated July 19, 2009)


14. Mass media organizations shall keep the documents related to free and payable air time and printable area as mentioned in Clauses 11 to 13 of this Article, for at least three years as from the voting day.